The innovator has expanded its enzymatic library to infinitely recycle nylon 6, accelerating the shift toward a circular economy

Samsara Eco, the climate tech innovator, has today announced its latest step to help combat the plastics crisis, developing enzymes capable of recycling nylon 6, a synthetic fibre commonly used in apparel, hosiery and automotives. The innovation builds on Samsara Eco’s existing capabilities to infinitely recycle nylon 6,6 and polyester and marks an important leap to tackle waste and eliminate the use of virgin plastics – plastics including synthetic textiles like nylon and polyester made from fossil fuels.

The innovation comes at a critical time when almost two-thirds of the 3.25 billion tonnes of textile waste produced each year ends in landfill or is incinerated. Currently less than 1 per cent of textiles are made from recycled textiles, meaning almost all synthetic textiles are still made from carbon-intensive fossil fuels. Samsara Eco’s latest innovation opens another pathway for textiles to end the reliance on fossil fuels and reduce waste so brands can use what they’ve already created to make new products.

The newest enzymes can break down nylon 6 into its original building block that can be reused repeatedly without losing quality. The breakthrough was achieved using Samsara Eco’s proprietary enzyme design platform, which creates enzymes capable of breaking down plastics at speed, scale and with precision.

“The current take-make-waste economy is incredibly damaging to our planet. We must reduce our reliance on carbon-intensive fossil fuels and instead, use what’s already in circulation,” said Paul Riley, CEO and Founder of Samsara Eco.

“Our latest breakthrough makes it possible to believe future textiles will be made from waste and excess, not fossil fuels. We are now able to give new life to nylon 6 and continue to recycle the typically unrecyclable, infinitely. Our ability to recycle nylon 6, nylon 6,6, polyester and mixed fibres, including coloured and dyed blends, is a gamechanger for the textile and fashion industry. Apparel is very rarely made from a single fibre so being able to recycle mixed fibres is the only way we can create true circularity for the industry.

“Pushed by incoming regulation, industries are becoming increasingly mindful of the entire lifecycle of their products and their carbon impact. We’re providing a way to address both concerns with a real scalable textile-to-textile recycling solution.”

The latest achievement follows intensive research, lab testing and bench-scale proof of concept.

Samsara Eco will collaborate with customers in textiles and automotive – two industries where nylon 6 is prevalent – as well as strategic partners to trial the new enzymes on nylon 6 products and blended materials from its innovation campus in Jerrabomberra, New South Wales, set to open mid-2025.

About Samsara Eco

Samsara Eco is a climate tech innovator on a mission to repair our planet through infinite recycling. With our enzymatic recycling technology, EosEco, we break down plastics and textiles into their core building blocks so they can be used to recreate new products, infinitely. Our aim is to create a truly circular loop for plastics and textiles to end the world’s reliance on climate-damaging fossil fuels.

Samsara Eco launched in 2021 in partnership with the Australian National University (ANU), and with backing from Main Sequence and the Woolworths Group. It has raised over AUD $150M from its growing supporters including Temasek, Breakthrough VIC, Greycroft, DCVC, CEFC, lululemon, Hitachi Ventures, Titanium Ventures and Wollemi. In 2024, Samsara Eco created apparel with lululemon, including the world’s first enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6 product. Our growing team of 80+ are spread across APAC and North America.

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